Electric-arc lamp.



No. 63|,8 l6. Patented Aug. 29, l89.

I e. c. PYLE.

ELECTRIC ARC LAMP.

(Application filed Dec. 24, 1898.]

1N0 Modal.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE C. PYL l, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRANKH. EWVERS, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC-ARC LAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 631,816, dated August29, 1899.

. Application filed December 24,1898, Serial No. 700,272. (N model.)

To all w/tom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE O. PYLE, of Indianapolis, county of Marion,and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Arc-Lamp;and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which like numerals refer to like parts.

The object of my invention is to provide means for properly holding andregulating the feed of the upper electrode of an arclamp.

The said invention is designed for use in r 5 electric headlights forlocomotives, where the lamp is subjected to considerable jarring, whereit is desirable to maintain the light at a certain point opposite thereflector to secure the best reflectiomand where,above all things,

there must be no failure of the lamp to operate for a moment.

I accomplish the object by providing a clutch to support the lower endof the upper electrode, one side of which is held down by aspring-controlled device and the other side is held by means controlledby the current automatically. WVhen the cu rrent-controlled holdingdevice is slightly elevated, it causes the clutch to grip and elevatethe electrode 0 to form the proper arc. \Vhen the arc is destroyed andthe current broken, the current controlledholding device lowers its sideof the clutch, thus permitting the electrode to move downward to theproper position to 5 form the are. In this manner I have a certain andpositive feeding and holding device for the upper electrode.

The full nature of this invention will be understood by the accompanyingdrawings and the description and claims following.

Figure I is a side elevation of a portion of an arc-lamp, showing theupper electrode and its means of support and control. Fig. II is a rearelevation of the upper electrode and 5 the parts immediately connectedtherewith. Fig. III is the detail of the means for sup porting theguide-bar beside the upper electrode. Fig. IV is a detail in verticalsection of the end of the tube and spring that'hold the clutch down onone side. Fig. V is a crossscction on the line A A of. Fig. II. Fig.

VI is a cross-section on the line B B of Fig. II. Fig. VII is a plan ofthe holding-clutch. Fig. VIII is a plan of the guide-ring.

In detail 1 is the upper end of alamp-post provided with a guide-bracket2, carrying an adjustably-mounted arm 3. At its outer end said arm 3 hasa horizontally-extending arm 4, as seen in Fig. III, provided with avertical aperture through it to receive the arm 5, to which the upperend of the guide-bar (3 is secured. The arm 5 is clamped in anydesirable position by the set-screw 7. c

8 is the upper electrode, and 9 is the lower one. The upper end of theupper electrode is grasped and held by the spring-clamp 10, that isconstructed to be vertically slidable on the guide-bar 6. Said clamplO,as Well as the upper electrode, is fed downward by gravity only when theholding mechanism, hereinafter described, permits it. At the lower endof the guide-bar 6 there is a bar or bracket 11, that connects with theholding device 12 for the lower electrode. This piece 11 is providedwith a platform or shoulder at 13, upon which the end 14 of the clutch15 rests. A guide-ring 16 is held also in the piece 11 below the clutch15.

The side 13 of the clutch 15 is held down by the foot 17 on the bar 18,that is connected So with the lower end of the rod 19. The upper end ofsaid rod is vertically movable through the extension 20 from theguide-bar 6. A head 21 is provided on the upper end of said rod 19, thatoperates in the barrel or tube 22 and is held down therein by the spiralspring 23, which tends to keep said rod 19, and therefore the end 14 ofthe clutch 15, in their downmost position. The barrel 22 is seated atits end in the extension 20, while its upper 0 end is held in a bracket47 on the bar 6 and the set of the spring is adjustable by the screw I48, that is held and locked by the nut 49.

The clutch 15, with the mechanism so far described, would permit theupper electrode 5 to move through it freely, and it becomes aholding-clutch only when the end 24 of said clutch 15 is elevated enoughto pinch and hold the electrode. That is accomplished by the followingmeans: The rod 25 is fastened at its lower end in an aperture in theside 24 of the clutch I5 and extends up parallel with the electrode andhas on its upper end a plate 26, provided with a vertical slot throughwhich the screw 27 in the arm 5 extends. This permits a slight verticalmovement of the side 24: of the holding-ring 15. This vertical movementis controlled by the current by means of the following mechanism: Theplate 26 rests on a lever 30, pivoted at 31 on an extension 32 of theadjustable arm 3. The stop limits the downward movement of the end ofsaid lever, and it is held in such downward position by a spiral spring34, connected at one end to the arm 35 and at the other end by anadjustable screw 37, secured to the lamp-post 1. The said lever 30 isactuated by the combined action of a solenoid and a dash-pot. Thedaslrpot 36 is supported on the lower end of the arm 3 and is providedwith a piston or plunger 38, pivoted to the said lever 30. A solenoid 4040 is carried by the bracket l6. Its core 41 is connected by the link 42with said lever 30. The wires 43 and all lead to and from said solenoid.The wire l5 supplies the current to the upper electrode.

The action of my device is as follows: When the current is turned on,the solenoid acts, drawing down the rear end of the lever 30, andconsequently elevating the other end, and thereby the rod 25 and theside 24. of the clutch 15, until said clutch binds and elevates theupper electrode enough to form the proper are. If the distance betweenthe electrodes becomes so great as to weaken or break the current, theaction of the solenoid will be reversed, whereupon the side 2st of theclutch 15 will be depressed sufficiently to release and thereby permitthe upper electrode to move by gravity downward into contact with thelower electrode. The current being thus reestablished, it again actsupon the solenoid and causes the mechanism to elevate the electrodesufficient to form the proper are. This process is automaticallycontinued.

Attention is called to the function and importance of the spring 23,especially in electric headlights for locomotives or any place where thelamp will be jarred. Said spring through the casting 18 causes the foot17 to press down upon the rear side of the clutch 15, thus causing it tomaintain and preserve the tight grip of the clutch on the electrodedespite the jarring. The pressure of the toe of the foot 17 tends alsoto release the clutch when the current weakens in order to permit thefeeding of the electrode.

hat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An arc-lamp including a frame with a suitable supporting-armtherefrom, a guidebar carried by such arm, an electrode slidably carriedon said guide-bar, a clutch for supporting the lower end of suchelectrode, a lever mounted in the frame, a connection from one side ofsuch clutch to said lever, and a solenoid for actuating said lever,whereby one side of said clutch will be elevated.

2. An arc-lamp including a guide-bar with suitable guides for the upperelectrode, a clutch resting at one side upon a seat connected with saidguide-bar, a plate resting upon the same side of said ring to hold itdown on its seat, an adjustable spring tend ing to force said platedownward, and means controlled by the current for moving the other sideof such ring.

In witness whereof I have hereunto aflixcd my signature in the presenceof the witnesses herein named.

GEORGE O. PYLE.

